Hello friends!
My name is Cody- I am a proud alumni of the Virginia Military Institute Class of 2021, a member of the Staunton/Richmond VA Catholic Community and currently an international volunteer in Ukraine.
I undertook this journey earlier in Summer 2026 and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life. I have been overwhelmed by the hospitality of the Ukrainian people, the inspiration of other volunteers, and most importantly the support of friends, family, and even strangers from back home.
The nature of my work involves being close to areas affected by the war and supporting relief operations on the ground to civilians and military alike. Due to the circumstances revolving around the administrative and financial aspects of these duties, I have had to shoulder the burden for most expenses including protective equipment, survival supplies, lodging+utilities, food+water, medicine, and the other means for me to be able to carry out my work. While my organization has been able to cover some of these costs, in order to carry out my responsibilities more effectively I have had to invest personally, and the backlog of financial compensation has put me into a hole, so to speak, in order to execute on the mission.
As a result, I have reluctantly turned towards here to humbly ask for your support. Understandably due to the nature of the conflict, I have to be vague in my description of what these funds will go to, which I will describe below.
What your funds will be used for:
- Food/Groceries (mostly that which has already been paid for)
- Lodging expenses (rent, utilities, etc)
- Survival gear and supplies that have been procured already (backpacks, sleeping bags, helmets, plate carrier, load bearing gear, medicine, etc).
- Additional clothes/uniforms, such as cold weather gear
- Gas for transportation
What your donations WILL NOT be used for:
- Any kind of offensive equipment or military aid, to include weapons, ammunition, ordnance, or the like
- Any kind of personal affairs such as travel for leave, recreational activities, etc
I thank you for the time spent reading this message, and am genuinely grateful and humbled by your support.
